Johnson is serving a prison sentence for homicide, according to DOC records.

Johnson was charged with second-degree murder in 2002 in connection to the death of Brooke Elizabeth Thompson, according to a complaint.

Edward Muhammad Johnson

Department of Corrections

The complaint said police were contacted after Johnson contacted a friend of Thompson's asking her to take care of Thompson's 5-year-old daughter. The friend agreed to meet with Johnson to pick up the child but contacted police out of concern for Thompson.

Johnson was stopped by police after he left Thompson's daughter with the friend.

The complaint said Thompson's daughter told police that her mother had been fighting with Johnson the night before.

Authorities went to the apartment Thompson and Johnson shared to do a welfare check. The complaint said an officer saw feet protruding from a bathtub and what appeared to be blood in the bathroom while looking through a window. The complaint said officers entered the apartment and found Thompson's body.

After a search warrant was issued on Johnson's vehicle, officers located clothing with what appeared to be blood and a knife, according to the complaint.

An autopsy confirmed Thompson died from numerous knife wounds to the neck and chest.

Court records indicate Johnson pleaded guilty to the murder in February 2003.

According to a criminal complaint filed in 2003, Johnson assaulted a detention deputy at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility.
The complaint said the detention deputy suffered a cut under his left eye as a result of the assault.

Johnson was charged with fourth-degree assault in connection to the incident. He pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2003.

Johnson was sentenced for both charges on March 14, 2003.

"The discipline record of this individual is significant. He's served about 1700 days in segregation," said DOC Commissioner Tom Roy.

Some of that time out of general population included a fight where Johnson lost his eye with another inmate.

A lawsuit from 2009 showed Johnson sued the Department of Corrections and the inmate from the fight.

But in the last two years, Roy said Johnson earned special privileges that allowed him to be in the workshop.

"He was eligible because of his lack of discipline to be engaged in vocational work," said Roy.